STEPHEN COLBERT vs. CORNEL WEST & TAVIS SMILEY: WATCH COLBERT GET SCHOOLED
HUFFINGTON POST, April 20, 2012 -- Colbert came out swinging in his interview with Cornel West and Tavis Smiley, accusing the two of waging class warfare with their new book, The Rich and The Rest Of Us.
West & Smiley took Colbert's mock outrage in stride, sparring back with him while also making their case for the poor.
In a particularly inspired response to the host's suggestion that the book is a $12 guilt trip for the rich, West shot back, "You've got a whole lot of unemployed people, thank god, who are going to Bruce Springsteen's world tour, The Wrecking Ball... Why? Because he's a white blues brother and understands; he's concerned about the poor, too. If they can get a Bruce Springsteen ticket, they can buy this book."
West & Smiley took Colbert's mock outrage in stride, sparring back with him while also making their case for the poor.
In a particularly inspired response to the host's suggestion that the book is a $12 guilt trip for the rich, West shot back, "You've got a whole lot of unemployed people, thank god, who are going to Bruce Springsteen's world tour, The Wrecking Ball... Why? Because he's a white blues brother and understands; he's concerned about the poor, too. If they can get a Bruce Springsteen ticket, they can buy this book."
At first, I couldn't tell if he were joking or not. And I agree with Mr West. If they can buy a concert ticket, they can buy the book.
Another thing, we needed the economy to work before anything could be done about poverty. Isn't that w hat welfare is suppose to do? Except that what they get from the government keeps them in poverty. Without a functioning economy, there will be no money or jobs to help anybody much less the poor. So what was the President suppose to do? They don't want the health plan that will help everybody.